|  |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
Printable Version
E-mail to a Friend
APA | MLA | |
Ghost is something that some believe and some won't. But still most of them get frighten to some extend, when they watch terrific horror films. Perhaps it is due to the terrific sounds or special effects that imposes ones mind. But there is a specific science that has the ability to explain the concepts of the spirits or ghosts called Adhyathma (A study centered around the soul)in the Ancient Indian script. According to the teachings of the ancient scripture Bhagavad Gita, the brain (and the body in general) is only a mechanical device used by the spirit soul (the actual self). It is described that just as a passenger rides in a chariot, in the same way the spirit soul is riding in this vehicle of the body.
The scriptures state that one who commits suicide will have to remain as a ghost for the period of time that one's body was supposed to exist. A ghost is nothing but a person with no physical body. According to the sankhya system, our body is made up of two coverings, the sukshma-sharira (subtle body) and the sthula-sharira (gross body). The gross body is made up of the panca-bhutas (earth, water, fire, air and ether), and the subtle body is made up of the mind (manas), intelligence (buddhi) and identification (ahankara). It is the subtle body which accompanies the soul into the next body at the time of death.
The gross physical body has a particular duration of existence based on one's prarabdha karma(results of the deeds of his previous incarnation).When one commits suicide, one brings one's physical body to an end prior to it having completed it's allotted time. One's next body is prepared in the akasha (ether), ready to manifest at the end of one's allotted time (the normal death of one's physical body).
Thus if one was supposed to live for 100 years, one's next body will be waiting for you after that 100 years. If for some reason one were to commit suicide at the age of 50, then one's next body will not be ready, and one will remain in an ethereal state until the balance 50 years of existence pass.
This state of existing as a ghost is a great suffering for the individual, as they lack the senses through which to act. The desires to act remain, as the mind, intelligence and identification of the subtle body are still existing. But lacking a physical body with senses, it becomes impossible to satisfy the desires one has. This leads to a hellish state of existence for the soul.
Though the soul leaves the body at the time of death, sometimes due to tremendous attachment to one's physical body, the soul will attempt to re-enter the dead body. It is very hard for materialistic people to give up their bodily attachments and possessions. As such, they sometimes remain around their dead body in the form of ghosts. A ghost is simply an individual who exists only in his subtle body (sukshma-sarira) composed of mind (manas), intelligence (buddhi), and identification (ahankara). The subtle body accompanies us even after the death of the physical body.
Thus in Hinduism and in many other religion the bodies of the dead are cremated to break any attachment that may remain for the soul after death. This allows the departed person to continue onwards on their path.
God is also a form of soul but He is much more superior than us. Thats why there is a distinction between a living being called as jeevathma (a simple soul) and the God called as Paramathma ( super soul).Lord Krishna explains clearly the eternality of the soul as follows in the Gita (A Hindu religious text):
"For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."
Hence we cannot just rely on the modern science to realize the reality. As a Human being we should accept that we have limited sense organs to discover the absolute truth hidden in this Universe. Therefore, we have to go for the Religious texts to acquire additional knowledge.
-Dhananjaya, India.
dananjay_5@yahoo.co.in
Still looking for the right essay?
Try our Premium Essay collection!
This essay is copyrighted by the author and maintained
by GotEssays.Com for research purposes only!
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
